Can't take the weather for granted; it's too schizo. Today we've had rain, sun breaks, sleet, hail, snow and more sun breaks. The snow came down fast and furious for a bit but didn't stick; the sloppy hail (I call it "slail") did for awhile.
I managed to get out for a very short ride on Russell up and down the road in between precipitation; the arena is too sloppy wet to ride in. Then I sat on my stool in the sheep fold for some quality time with the girls. Bella's toes are looking a bit long, so I stuck the hoof nippers and her halter in my coat pockets, thinking that after some lovin' she'd be easy to slip a halter on for a trim. Well, Dinah and Rechel couldn't get enough petting and I had fun looking at their fleeces. Rechel's is quite crimpy but not extremely soft to handle; the crimps are almost "crispy." This photo was taken just behind her shoulder.
Dinah's fleece is already eight inches long at the same point, only seven months after shearing! I think she would easily give me two clips a year, and I do like working with her fleece.
As for Bella, I tell you that rascal can SMELL nylon! She never came up for love, staying behind the other girls' rumps the whole time. She's even decided she doesn't like animal cookies after all, so that was no incentive. (Dinah is my Cookie Monster.) I left the hoof trimming for another day, not being in the mood for "mutton-busting."
That's it for now at . . .
4 comments:
Hi Michelle - I'm glad your camera came back to life - if you're like us, there's not much left in the budget this time of the year. (and you take such wonderful pictures)
The crimp in that ewe's wool is beautiful - I know what you mean about them sensing "something's up" tho - I could swear that they can read our minds sometimes.
That Baltazar is a pretty handsome guy - I'd be swooning over him if I was a sheep LOL -
We didn't make it to midnight this year - I vaguely heard the neighbors shooting off their fireworks - but had a brunch to go to on Monday a.m., so I was off to dreamland pretty fast.
Wishing you the Happiest of New Years! Hope that this storm coming in tomorrow passes you by. Take care. T.
Hi Michelle,
Sometimes my camera just folds upon itself when the weather is really cold. Haven't figured out why, but its just dies and then rejuvenates once its back in the warmth.
On Bella---I know its frustrating, but I've noticed some of the girls go thru a very flighty unfriendly stage once they reach, as it were, their 'teen stage'. Some stay that way until after their first lambs, others only for a short while. It is a bit of a crush to suddenly be rejected by a formally friendly sheepie! ;-)
All these cameras must have DNRs or something as mine would not cooperate this morning either! I wanted to get shots of "Da Boyz" but it just wouldn't work. Can cameras be related?
I just came in from putting everyone in the barn as the wind has turned from the NW right into the hseep!
Your pictures are great! And that fleece - well, I'm drooling over the keys as I type this.
(And thatnks for the comment on the blog...I have been taking care of Zuzu (it's getting closer as she's starting to go downhill, but I've said that before) and feeding the woodburner as the furnace is still not working correctly - darn it!)
OK, Michelle...just for that I did two! ;-) Ha, ha!
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